Storm DHCStorm Project2017-11-29T14:18:47Zhttp://storm-dhc.eu/feed/atom/Storm DHChttp://storm-dhc.eu/?p=8412017-11-09T15:23:14Z2017-11-09T15:18:40ZYou are cordially invited to the first training workshop on digitalisation in district heating and cooling, organised in the framework […]

]]>You are cordially invited to the first training workshop on digitalisation in district heating and cooling, organised in the framework of the STORM project!

It will take place on 24 November from 14:00 – 16:00 at Kantoor Contour in Heerlen, the Netherlands.

The workshop is jointly organised by Mijnwater BV and Zuyd Hogeschool, both STORM project partners.

Content

Due to the transition to another energy supply, heating and cooling of buildings (including housing) will eventually take place in another way. Increasing insulation measures will grow the need for cooling. Heating and cooling via heat and cold networks is one of the alternatives. During this interactive workshop you will understandthe newest generation of intelligent heat and cooling networks. We also want to get an answer to the question: what is the added value of producingheat and cold networks for end users (for example residents).

]]>The local heating plant in Rottne, a city close to Växjö, is one of STORM’s demo sites and this year the plant celebrated its twenty year anniversary! To celebrate this, STORM project partner Växjö Energi, organised an open day at the plant.

Many visitors were interested in how the production works as well as the impact of the smart district heating controller, says Peter Philipsson, section manager for local production of district heat at Växjö Energi.

Curious about the bath temperaturePeter Philipsson and his colleague Sandra Fredriksson where having guided tours during the whole day on the open house. One of the youngest visitors was Alva, who came together with her mom. Alva was curious about the water in the bathtub, and asked: “Does the water get cold when you send out less heat to the house?” Peter Philipsson calmed her by answering that the hot water doesn’t get affected by the control.

Taking responsibility for the environment
Visitor Gerd Svensson thought that we took a great responsibility for the environment by running the plant only with renewable energy. It is nice that Växjö Energi thinks about future generations, says Gerd Svensson.

Great interest in the STORM controllerAnother visitor at the heating plant asked if you could feel a noticeable difference indoors when the temperature reduction was made by the STORM controller. Sandra and Peter explained that the goal is that the customer does not feel any difference.

]]>Storm DHChttp://storm-dhc.eu/?p=8142017-09-05T12:29:45Z2017-09-05T12:27:34ZThe STORM project partners are keen to share the successes and tangible results that we have already achieved. Interested in the […]

]]>The STORM project partners are keen to share the successes and tangible results that we have already achieved.

Interested in the benefits of digitalisation in district heating and cooling networks, how the STORM controller works, its smart control mechanisms as well as the future plans of the project? Watch the video and discover what STORM is all about!

]]>On 14-17 May 2017, the STORM project was represented prominently at the Euroheat & Power Congress in Glasgow, UK. The Congress provides a platform to discuss major issues of importance for European and Global District Energy sectors across a range of technical and commercial issues; from resource assessment and innovative technological design, to market and policy developments.

The STORM project was present with a exhibition stand under the DHC+ Pavilion and STORM project partners presented research results in two different sessions. During these three days, the project caught the attention among the more than 300 Congress participants, being the only smart controller system in the exhibition area.

STORM exhibition stand

During 15 and 16 May, participants of the Euroheat & Power Congress had the chance to speak to STORM partners and find out about the latest progress in the project. The brand-new STORM brochure was also available at the exhibition stand. During the coffee break, a live demonstration session of the STORM controller was given by Christian Johansson from NODA Intelligent Systems.

Impressions from the live demonstration

STORM presentations during sessions

The STORM project contributed to the Euroheat & Power Congress with two speakers in two sessions:
Christian Johansson from NODA Intelligent Systems participated in the panel discussion ‘Technology and Projects: Digitalisation – Buzzword or Transformative Force?’ and shared his experience on digitising the DHC sector in his presentation ‘Intelligent Energy Grids in Practice‘.
Herman Eijdems from Mijnwater, operator of the Heerlen demo site, presented the latest research from the performance indicator stydi from the STORM project: ‘STORM – Optimizing Parameters for DHC’ during the session ‘Technology and Projects: Making the EU work for Us’.

C. Johansson (left) and H. Eijdems (middle) presenting STORM

Audience in the ‘Technology and Projects’ session

Both sessions were well visited and attracted more people to the STORM exhibition stand. The Congress was a great opportunity for STORM to present the latest advancements of the controller and expose the controller to the wider DHC community.

STORM therefore contributed to making the Euroheat & Power Congress slogan ‘Experience Tomorrow Today’ a reality. Thank you to all the visitors at our stand, and we hope to see you soon at another upcoming event or for implementing the controller soon in your network!

]]>The local heating plant in Rottne, a city close to Växjö, is one of STORM’s demo sites and this year the plant has its twenty year anniversary!

To celebrate this, STORM project partner Växjö Energi, organises an open house on 26th of August. During that day you can experience guided tours of the local heating plant and you can find out how the production works, as well as learn about the impact of the smart district heating controller.

The visits target customers of the heating network and other interested locals, as well as local policy-makers, industry experts and professionals working on energy efficiency and renewables.

When?

The open house will take place on Saturday 26th of August from 10:00 to 15:00.

About the Rottne district heating plant

Rottne district heating plant – fossile-free heat production for a better future
The plant was put into operation in 1998 and currently supplies approximately 180 customers in Rottne. The heat production is completely fossil-free, reducing the impact on the environment. Växjö Energi participates in the EU project STORM, which aims to use biofuels in a smarter manner with a control system that can optimise the biofuel use.
The Rottne district heating plant has heated homes for twenty years, including apartments and commercial spaces, where the largest customer is Vidingehem. The grid has a length of 10 383 meters and a volume of 64 m³.

]]>Storm DHChttp://storm-dhc.eu/?p=7092017-07-04T08:42:35Z2017-07-04T08:40:52ZOn 19 June the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (EASME) organised a contractors’ day for project coordinators and […]

]]>On 19 June the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (EASME) organised a contractors’ day for project coordinators and partners in the field of monitoring and optimising district heating & cooling networks. STORM project coordinator Johan Desmedt (VITO/EnergyVille) and exploitation and dissemination leader Alessandro Provaggi (Head of the DHC+ Technology Platform c/o Euroheat & Power) participated on behalf of the STORM project.

The aim was to collectively explore the potential for collaboration and to exchange knowledge, experiences and information related to smart optimisation of DHC. The meeting was based on a participatory approach, giving the opportunity to learn from other projects with similar processes and objectives as well as to share experiences with other colleagues.

The STORM consortium would like to thank EASME and DG Energy for organising the contractors’ day. We left the workshop with many new ideas and insights and will make sure to use the feedback in the new versions of the STORM controller.

]]>Storm DHChttp://storm-dhc.eu/?p=7232017-07-14T14:02:56Z2017-05-31T14:05:31ZEnergyVille – where is it? The 5th edition of the International DHC+ Summer School is organised in collaboration with EnergyVille, […]

EnergyVille – where is it?

The 5th edition of the International DHC+ Summer School is organised in collaboration with EnergyVille, an association of the Flemish research institutes KU Leuven, VITO and imec in the field of sustainable energy and intelligent energy systems. Inaugurated in 2016, EnergyVille is an innovative project that has the objective of becoming one of the top five European institutes in innovative energy research. EnergyVille strives to be a driver in the Thor science park in Genk and a European reference in the area of research and business development. The DHC+ Summer School 2017 is the perfect occasion for students and professionals to experience in the first person the beginning of a pioneer project and explore the functioning of the newest installations for energy research in Belgium.

STORM involvement

EnergyVille/VITO is the coordinator of the the STORM project. Therefore it is not surprising that a whole day of the summer school week will be dedicated to the STORM project: On Wednesday, 30 August, participants will visit the STORM demonstration site in Heerlen, the Netherlands, a highly innovative geothermal district heating grid. Christian Johansson from NODA will furthermore explain the details of the STORM controller in a dedicated lecture.

More information on the summer school:

Why Belgium?

Even though Belgium is not one of the most advanced countries in terms of district heating and cooling development, the public and political interest for district energy is raising. The increasing political interest in the cities and municipalities currently reflects into a large number of feasibility studies for district heating. EnergyVille is strongly involved in the roll-out of district heating in Belgium, as an independent research company, by supporting the cities, provinces and regions in this transition towards a more sustainable heating and cooling future.

What’s on the agenda?

One of the strengths of the DHC+ Summer School in general is the well-structured programme that seeks for a strong correlation between theoretical lectures, site visits and group work. This year’s Summer School will explore in detail the evolution ‘from 3rd to 4th generation DHC networks’ combining lectures from the best professionals and academics in the sector, with guided site visits to real installations, such as the newly developed district heating network Nieuw-Zuid Antwerp, the highly advanced 4th generation network Mijnwater in Heerlen, or the first deep geothermal well in Mol. The International DHC+ Summer School also comprises networking activities such as dinners and group work to create connections between participants, facilitate exchange of knowledge and explore business opportunities for the future.

Where is the challenge?

The DHC challenge requires participants to work together in small groups to find innovative solutions for the development of district heating and cooling in Europe. Under the supervision of district energy experts, participants with different backgrounds share their knowledge and ideas and come up with great solutions for real problems, exploring different approaches to district energy planning.

How to register?

Find a detailed programme, participation fees and a registration link here. Register early and before the deadline of 30 July!

How to get involved?

All interested parties are invited to sponsor or collaborate with the 5th International DHC+ Summer School. This is an ideal way to demonstrate your organisation’s commitment to the field of sustainable energy and youth engagement. If you would like more information on sponsorship opportunities or you would like to suggest a possible collaboration, please contact Inés Arias Iglesias at dhcplus@euroheat.org

]]>The STORM team will be at the 38th Euroheat & Power Congress, taking place from 14-17 May in Glasgow.

On 15 and 16 May, we will welcome you at exhibition stand #232 in the DHC+ Pavilion,which also hosts other innovative projects and DHC companies. Come and learn first-hand from our experts! We are happy to answer any questions and discuss about the latest developments and achievements of the STORM controller.

On Monday, 15 May, at 14:35 we will show a live demonstration of the STORM controller at our exhibition stand #232. Join us!

The STORM project will contribute to the Euroheat & Power Congress with two speakers in two sessions:

Christian Johansson from STORM project partner NODA Intelligent Systems is speaker at the panel discussion ‘Technology and Projects: Digitalisation – Buzzword or Transformative Force?’ on Tuesday, 16 May at 9:00-10:30.

Herman Eijdems from Mijnwater will present the Heerlen demo site of the STORM project: ‘Black to green: using coal mines for renewable DHC’ during the session ‘Technology and Projects: Making the EU work for Us’ on Tuesday, 16 May at 13:30-15:00.

About the Euroheat & Power Congress

Our future depends on the choices we make today! Heating and Cooling are together the largest single source of energy demand in Europe, and this demand is currently met largely by fossil fuels.

Choosing District Energy means saying NO to spending on imported fossil fuels, and YES to investing in efficiency infrastructure and renewable energy at the heart of our communities. Policy-makers at EU, national and local level are beginning to embrace this reality, with encouraging consequences for network operators, cities and citizens!

This congress and exhibition will offer active participation by providing an excellent programme with speakers from different levels of governance and stakeholders. It provides a platform to discuss major issues of importance for European and Global District Energy sectors across a range of technical and commercial issues; from resource assessment and innovative technological design, to market and policy developments.

For more information and to register for the Congress, please visit the event website.

]]>Euroheat & Power/DHC+ Technology Platform (STORM partner) has teamed up with DIGITALEUROPE, the association representing the digital technology industry, to organise the breakfast event ‘Smart Energy for Smart Living’. It is part of their event series Digital in Practice Programme (DiPP). STORM partners NODA Intelligent Systems (CTO Christian Johansson) and Euroheat & Power (Managing Director Paul Voss) will share insights on how digitalisation changes the district heating landscape.

Date and time: 4 April 2017, 08:30 – 10:00, Brussels

Registration is free: The number of seats is limited. Please register online before 2 April here.

Background

The energy transition never quite quit making the headlines: the European Commission’s ‘Clean Energy for all Europeans’ package published in November 2016 tries to make the most of two trends poised to reshape – disrupt, if combined – the energy landscape: decentralisation and digitalisation.

On procuring from a wide variety of sustainable sources, regional and local energy systems can ensure optimal use of infrastructures and other local resources. How does this work in practice? ICT-enabled systems help reduce energy dependency while boosting efficiency and decarbonisation. Buildings and other infrastructures such as water supply and sewage systems communicating with each other optimize consumption and supply while providing more comfort. At local level, heat turns into energy source or storage medium; cross-city energy flows, be it electricity, heating or gas, are to be optimized too. Smart controllers, known to provide trouble-free and energy-efficient network operation while empowering consumers, will enable district heating systems to adjust their supply to accurately planned demand based on weather forecasts and self-learning algorithms.

The future looks bright, technology is here to grab, what are we waiting for? Are citizens, regions keen to foster this change? Is the current regulatory framework fit to steer it in the right direction? We are pleased to invite you to help draw the picture of a digitally-powered, fully sustainable local energy future, together with the distinguished experts that have agreed to launch this conversation:Speakers:

About DiPP

The Digital in Practice Programme aims to make a case for the digital industry and to evidence the transformative impact of digital products and services. By fostering short, crisp and open debates between leading experts and interested guests, our workshops afford the industry, policy makers and other key stakeholders a powerful educational platform where to share information and discuss informally how a truly ICT-enabled Europe will look like.